TLE #027: Interview with Red and Black, The R.E.A.L Authorpreneur Series The Literary Entrepreneur, posted 09/07/2015

Happy Labor Day! I know it’s a holiday, but I still have a brand new podcast for you today. This week I’m featuring not one, but two contributors from the Will the R.E.A.L. Authorpreneur Please Stand Up? compilation. This was the first time hosting two guests at the same time on The Literary Entrepreneur and what a fun interview! Red and Black are two sisters who have a unique story to tell about their book, What I Learned About Life When My Husband Got Fired! I guarantee you will enjoy this interview because I had to keep myself from laughing out loud quite a bit. To hear the interview, go to … The Literary Entrepreneur #027

"Red" and "Black"Encore.org, Stories From The Encore Movement, posted 06/09/2015

Encore.org (Second Acts For The Greater Good) profiles Red and Black and their "encore" story: Born of a family crisis, their sisterly encore educates high school students, prison inmates and others about life and money. To read the article, go to … Encore: Red & Black

Finding Your Own Reading Community: It All Started with a Book … Nerdy Book Club – By Jill Culmo, Robin Johnson, and Micheal Kessner, posted 04/24/15

Wow, we are the first tip! Use in haste, repent at leisure could apply to your credit cards. Check out these four guidelines before you flash your plastic again. #1: Think of your credit cards as charge cards instead. The original cards – charge cards – were created as a convenience, so you wouldn't have to carry around a lot of cash or write a lot of checks. They weren't intended to buy today what you couldn't pay for until tomorrow. Regarding your cards as a convenience instead of a line of credit can save you from a boatload of interest charges and debt. – Tina Pennington and Mandy Williams, authors of What I Learned About Life When My Husband Got Fired! To read the entire article, go to http://work.lifegoesstrong.com/article/4-things-every-credit-card-user-should-know

A Crisis Was The Catalyst Which Led Me To Taking Control of My Life... And The 7 Lessons I Learned By Tina Pennington ("Red"), Huffington Post, posted 09/07/2012

What would you do if your husband came home one rainy Friday and told you, after twenty years with a major company, that he was fired? Well, for me, it meant that I would be forced to take my ostrich head out of the sand when it came to financial matters and learn that it's your values and priorities that should drive all your decisions -- financial and otherwise. To read the article, go to www.huffingtonpost.com/tina-pennington/life-after-divorce_b_1834395.html

When Tina, "Red," found out that her husband had lost his job and that they couldn't afford the lifestyle they were living, she reached out to her financially-savvy sister Mandy "Black" for help. Black's adventure trying to help Red understand her long-ignored personal finances drew them together towards the goal of getting Red in control of her money. Their book tells the story of how Red did it, and how you can do it too. To read Natalia's interview of Red & Black, go to www.gogirlfinance.com/career/red-black-two-sisters-taking-personal-finance-head-on/.

Part of the Power Talk series hosted by Linda Ballesteros, this interview features the unusual story of Red & Black, and how Black turned her sister's "crisis" into a book, a brand and a business that has detoured into the world of education. Red shares with us how she was going through the "crisis" of her life, only to find her sister, Black, taking notes. Not only to turn it into a book, but also a sitcom. Black admits that she "got it backwards" when she thought the book was amusing and by-the-way might have some useful information. Linda Ballesteros tells us, "I think what you have to say to women is very powerful." To listen to the 30 minute interview, go to www.blogtalkradio.com/toughtalkradionetwork/2012/04/18/power-talk-w-linda-b-w-red-and-black-and-charlie-lobosco-1

Discover what you must discuss, from spending habits to saving for retirement. You're supposed to be able to share everything with your husband - your bed, your children, your hopes and dreams - but talking about money can feel, well, funny. After all, you spend so much of your life not discussing it. … It's (literally) worth it to get over your discomfort and ask your husband (and yourself) these 10 money questions now. To read the entire article, go to www.womansday.com/life/saving-money/money-and-marriage

We live with so many rules and laws that we start to believe there are rules for everything. Rules are everywhere: in sports, buried in unspoken politics, guidelines. All these involve rules. As a result, many entrepreneurs fall into the trap of believing that their industry has rules that can't be broken. They believe that their industry works the way it does because of rules. They're wrong. Successful entrepreneurs know that breaking these non-existent rules is in fact the key to success. Case in point: Tina Pennington and Mandy Williams, better known as Red & Black … To read more, go to www.openforum.com/articles/why-you-shouldnt-follow-the-rules

What do you do when you don't cook or eat at home, but you need to set up a home office? You may do exactly what entrepreneur and author Mandy Williams (aka Black of Red & Black) did, and convert your dining room into a home office. To see the photograph and read the article, go to http://workingnaked.com/2012/01/16/all-dressed-up-reservations-required.

It's Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2012. Do you know where your New Year's resolutions are? All too often the promises we make to ourselves so earnestly in December have already fallen by the wayside before the first week of January is out. … Need a little push to get started? Starting to waver in the face of post-holiday sales come-ons? Millionaire Corner reached out to financial bloggers to ask them their personal finance resolutions. To read the resolutions, including the one Red (Tina Pennington) supplied, go to: http://www.millionairecorner.com/article/finance-bloggers-share-their-new-years-resolutions

We are flattered to be included in this list … Get inspired by these 10 entrepreneurs and make your new year's resolution that you're going to work happy this year. Last year, I interviewed dozens of men and women who took a big risk and changed their lives by launching new careers. I loved all the reinvention stories, but these were my special favorites. May they inspire you to make a bold life change in 2012. To read the list, go to http://work.lifegoesstrong.com/article/top-ten-career-change-stories-2011.

Black's email - in response to a media request for advice on how to deal with the financial blahs after overspending - ended up being posted online as an article. It starts … "Almost everyone ends up dealing with the "financial blahs" at some point in their life - which are much better than the "financial OMGs", although the latter are sometimes what causes you to make major changes in your life." To read more, go to http://headdrama.com/article/everyday-drama/42665/11279/dealing-with-financial-blahs-after-overspending.

Part of the Executive Girlfriend's Group (EGG) Next Gen Leaders Program, which was developed because EGG recognized the need to match mentors with the next generation of leaders throughout the business world. This wide-ranging interview features the unusual story of Red & Black, offers Black's sage advice for women in business, and covers how they are leaving their legacy, not only in their own family circle, but with teens who are using this book as a personal finance and "life 101" textbook. Cecilia Dahl begins the interview by saying, "I heard a past interview with you and I was immediately compelled to want to know more about your personalities and how this whole story unfolded." To listen to the full 50 minute interview, go to www.blogtalkradio.com/solutionzlive/2011/12/09/egg-live-nextgen-with-redblack-what-i-learned-about-life.

The world of banking and finance can be very alien to those who aren't intimately involved with it. Like most professionals, physicians and other healthcare providers are – more often than not – relatively uniformed. To read the article, including advice from Mandy Williams, aka Black, go to www.medicalofficetoday.com/content.asp.

Great article. Of course, we wish that when Kelli had explained what our mother had neglected to tell Black (see item #4) that she had also included the rest of the story ... that our lack of financial education as children created a "crisis" situation for Red when she was in her 40's. But that ultimately it has a happy ending as our book is now the basis of a personal financial literacy program used at KIPP, and approved by the (Texas) State Board of Education. To read the article, go to www.smartmoney.com/spend/family-money/10-things-your-parents-wont-tell-you-1312164200320/#articleTabs

More.com liked Red's aish.com article so much that it posted it under "your stories" and added the subtitle, "How to take control over your own life instead of letting it take over you." To read the entire article, including the seven lessons, go to http://www.more.com/seven-lessons-i-learned-about-life

I was 40+ years old and had gone from living with my parents to living with my husband. And although we traveled the world with his career, I had still managed to lead a sheltered life in that someone else had always taken care of me. However, my husband getting fired was the catalyst which forced me to face reality and take control of my life. ... During my crisis, I put together a list I could review whenever I needed help remembering the glass is half-full. It's as applicable today as it was when I first wrote it. Hopefully it can help you navigate any crisis you find yourself in. To read the entire article, including the seven lessons, go to http://www.aish.com/ci/be/When_My_Husband_Got_Fired.html

Women and Money: What We Still Don't KnowBy The Aging Diva – Life Goes Strong (NBC Universal), posted 07/22/11

We've come a long way, baby, but we could still use a quick refresher course called "Women and Money." When Tina Pennington's husband was fired, her sister, Mandy Williams, was amazed to discover how little Pennington knew about personal finance. Williams, who has an MBA, became her "in-house counsel," and together they wrote a book. They lecture and teach a course on financial literacy at Houston schools. Here, what we women need to know about money – and often don't. To read the list, go to http://work.lifegoesstrong.com/women-and-money-what-we-still-dont-know

Unfortunately, many married women are oblivious to the household finances. Their husband earns a paycheck, pays the bills, handles the insurance and manages the investments. For a woman considering or proceeding with the divorce process, this can be a real problem. That's why I asked divorce experts to share their advice on managing the financial aspect of a divorce. Read what they had to say in the eye-opening tips below:

Tip #3: Ignorance is not bliss - ignorance is just ignorance. And can be very expensive!

My sister moved from my parents' house to her husband's house and he was responsible for the money, while she was responsible for the home and the children. Not an unusual division of labor. However, when he was fired her life was turned upside down and she panicked because she knew nothing about their personal finances. She was forced to take control of her finances, instead of having her finances control her. The situation is no different if you are contemplating divorce, in the process of divorce or even post divorce. You need to fully understand the basics about personal finance, as well as how your values and priorities should impact your decisions. Fighting to "get the house" might be a bad decision if you get it and cannot afford to keep it - you would have been better off with more tangible cash assets.

Intimated by personal finance? Think you need to be a business major, or like math? Scared by the terminology? Get over it! My sister was a 40+ year old woman with a degree in theater arts and realized within her she had the power to not only figure out financial topics, but to take control of her life. You do, too. It is a mindset and a perspective. And you will find it not only a relief, but more importantly empowering.

Can You Connect These Dots?Girls Can't What?, posted 07/07/2011

WHO SAID GIRLS CAN'T:
1. Race Ferraris & Porsches? (Black was the first woman to race the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway!)
2. Be successful in a "good ole' boys" industry? (Black retired by the time she was 40 from the oil and gas industry.)
3. Convince Neiman Marcus to launch your self-published book? (Black did that, too.)
4. Publicly tell your embarrassing personal story in the hope of helping your daughters, as well as others? (Red did this.)
5. Not only understand personal finance, but make it simple and fun for others, including high school students, to understand? (Red & Black are doing this.)

Mandy Williams, Author of, "What I Learned About Life When My Husband Got Fired!", suggests, "Thinking Before Spending", which she admits is, "A very basic concept", but says that we are all "guilty of ‘mindless' purchases that we do without thinking. And definitely without considering the total amount spent over time". She suggests a very simple tip too, such as "merely write down everything you spend money on for a week", using what she calls "Green Sheets". Williams says, "You Are Never Too Old or Young to Budget", which she admits is an "obvious concept, but rarely remembered at the time money is being spent."

36. NEIMAN MARCUS TEACHES FINANCE?My plan includes: Neiman Marcus launched our book as we thought our market was baby boomer women. Our marketing strategy did NOT include developing/teaching a financial literacy program or becoming a State-approved "textbook." Our story demonstrates the importance of planning – of having a road map, but realizing there are many different roads to the same destination. Be prepared for detours and/or road blocks, but they do not mean you cannot reach your destination. You may even find a better way …

Part of the Executive Girlfriend's Group Vignette Series, join Chicke Fitzgerald for a tale of two unlikely sisters, Red & Black. Red is a Texas housewife who is warm and fuzzy and formerly financially clueless. Black is a retired oil and gas executive with a master's degree in international finance and a passion for racing Ferraris and Porsches. Touted as a "reality show in a book", it is a poignant and frank view into their lives and how one sister's crisis taught them both what matters most in life. Whether you have lost your job, or know someone who has, or you just struggle with your finances or relationships, this book is for you. To listen to the full 45 minute interview, go to www.redandblackbooks.com/default/Media-html/StrugglingWith.html

7. OUR BOOK IS FOR SALE ... NOT US!DO YOU WANT TO APPEAR ON OUR TELEVISION SHOW? No. Because it was subscription programming and we did not feel the company (and the product/services they were selling) met our standards of integrity and value. In fact, I felt their financial recommendations were bad advice and their product merely a marketing angle. And even though we knew that the subscribers (viewers) would purchase in excess of 1,000 books, and could have been as many as 5,000 books, we felt we were selling out our beliefs (and therefore what we stood for, and our reputation) for short-term benefits. Do we regret our decision, no. And we explained our decision by stating our book mentions over 60 companies whose products and services we use, and so we felt appearing on their show indicated we endorsed their product and felt we might be misleading the audience.

Tina Pennington learned the hard way. You don't have to. When Tina Pennington's husband lost his job in 2004, she leaned on her sister, Mandy Williams, who has an MBA, for financial advice. Together, they wrote a book, What I Learned About Life When My Husband Got Fired, which is now approved as a textbook in Texas. The sisters lecture widely and teach a course on financial literacy at a Houston high school. Here's their take on what to do if your husband loses his job. To read the five tips, go to http://work.lifegoesstrong.com/6-things-you-should-know-if-your-husband-gets-fired

When we recognize our sisters' successes, we rarely ask "how exactly did you do that? I mean, step-by-step." We congratulate them and walk away thinking sure, they could do it because [pick one] they had the education or they had the experience or they had the connections. What we don't see is the persistent dogged and optimistic determination success requires. Belief in ourselves and our service or product. And perhaps most importantly, our willingness to fail. To read more, go to www.forbes.com/how-to-succeed-at-business-vision-courage-and-flexibility/

When The Power Of Financial Literacy Meets The Entrepreneurial SpiritBy Victoria Pynchon – Forbes, posted 03/15/11

I recently related a tale about the transformative power of financial literacy. The sisters at the heart of that story – Mandy Williams and Tina Pennington – wrote a book about their mutually transformative experience. Mandy, who was always "in the black" could have stopped providing financial advice right where my last post left you – with her "red" sister Tina newly empowered to manage her financial life. But that's not what happened. As we encourage all of our "She Negotiates" students to do, Mandy and Tina recognized the opportunity to negotiate their own economic future, seized that opportunity, captured its true market value, and, went on to make an important difference in the world. To read more, go to www.forbes.com/when-the-power-of-financial-literacy-meets-the-entrepreneurial-spirit/

On a rainy afternoon in January of 2004, Tina Pennington was cooking dinner for her family, oblivious to the crisis poised to walk through the kitchen door. "I was a theater major," Tina says by way of explanation. "All I ever wanted to do was be a wife and mother. I had a successful, loving husband and two beautiful young children. We lived lavishly and travelled the world." Then Nick came in the side door, shook the rain off his umbrella and said "I've been fired." To read more,go to www.forbes.com/how-financial-literacy-can-transform-womens-lives/

What To Do When The Transformative Moment ArrivesBy Victoria Pynchon – Forbes, posted 02/05/11

There isn't a woman I know who hasn't had a transformative moment when one seemingly healthy way of life suddenly withers and dies. Usually, another, bolder, more authentic path presents itself and a healthier set of roots are put down and begin to grow. To read more, go to www.forbes.com/what-to-do-when-the-transformative-moment-arrives/

Unemployment Led To A Life Of ChangeBy Wallis Patterson – Change From Down Under, posted 12/22/10

Change from Down Under, a show meant to help people who are thinking their livesmight need a change or maybe are facing a crisis, a turning point in their lives where they are sick and tired of being sick and tired for one reason or another. To read the article and listen to our interview, go to www.changefromdownunder.com/Change_from_Down_Under/Red%26Black.html.

This appeared in the parenting section ...and was authored by Black?! Anyway, the advice applies to everyone throughout the year.

4. Control ImpulsesBetween parties, shopping, cooking and gift-giving, there are plenty of demands on our time and wallets. Nothing piles on holiday stress like having too little time or money, so think before committing. "We all are guilty of 'mindless' purchases that we do without thinking, but this concept also applied to time," says Mandy Williams (Black), co-author of What I Learned About Life When My Husband Got Fired! Keep in mind that you probably can't do everything you want to do and you can't have everything you want to buy. Once you've embraced these truths, a stress-free holiday can be yours.

15. A Textbook Titled ... What I Learned About Life When My Husband Got Fired! ???Neiman Marcus launched our self-published book, but we were not prepared for KIPP Houston High School to ask us to use it as the basis of a pilot financial literacy program (which we developed and taught) for the Class of 2010, or for it to be officially approved by the State Board of Education as a textbook. However, our long-term plan was developed with the flexibility to accommodate changes because we know there are many different roads to the same destination and that you have to be prepared for detours, road blocks and OPPORTUNITIES. (Thanks to Mandy Williams of Red & Black Books.)

This website, which is self-proclaimed as "musings of a reasonably competent home cook," includes recipes as well as tastings of life ... and even combines Labor Day, a box of 64 crayons,our book, and a recipe for red beans and rice all in one column. Curious? Go to whitefluffyicing.com/2010/09/kickin-it-up-a-notch/.